Immortal
by Opaline1902
Summary: Kafte emerges into a new world after a thousand years of imprisonment.
1. Chapter 1

Looking back, I should've known what was coming.

We were too powerful, uncontrollable as the wind and tide. We would soon pay for it with our freedom.

Nadia looked at me as I peered across at the slaves working. "This is wrong", she murmured, "we should free them".

I agreed. But to do so would cause immense trouble for the both of us. We would most likely be tortured or imprisoned for eternity.

"You know why we can't, we're up to our necks in trouble already. They wanted a gift from the gods and instead they got us", I whispered back.

Mere years ago, we had been slaves and used as a sacrifice for the gods when the middle class ran out of livestock. But instead of getting great fortune from the gods, we were returned powerful and immortal. Isis and Osiris had looked upon us in pity and saved us by gifted us immortal life and gifts to preserve it and the earth.

Instead we became human gods, unable to do anything for ourselves, watched with envy and even fear. After several attempts by the pharaohs guards to kill us we were placed in the palace and seen as the pharaohs guests and playthings. His presents from the gods.

But we were on borrowed time.

As if sensing where my thoughts had gone Nadia continued, " I wonder when his royal nuisance will visit, its bad enough he separated me from my children and lover, but for him to continually make me endure his whims is torture".

"I know but endure it we must if we wish to continue our lives freely", I murmured back, "It's the only thing they know they have on us, eternal torture".

Nadia sighed deeply. She dreamed of a day when she could gather her children and run away with me from this place to live and nurture the earth as Isis intended. If there hadn't been a power play at hand we may have been able to escape, but we had been under constant watch since it was rumoured that there was a rebellion brewing. We were the the surprise of the rebels invaded the palace, supposed to distract the rebels long enough for the pharaoh to escape. After all, we were mere women compared to the pharaoh, immortality and powers be damned.

I looked out over at the slaves, working under the hot sun to build his monument.

"Maybe an accident could happen, you know, and some slaves escape and make it to freedom?" I whispered to Nadia, a glint in my eyes as I turned to eye the guards assigned to us that day.

She grinned. "A landslide maybe? Only a couple minor casualties of course, all HIS.. of course".

"Yes, that sounds about right," I smiled. I walked over to the lounge and draped myself over it and retrieved a grape from the bowl. I looked back over to Nadia and raised my eyebrow. Catching on, she came over and sat next to me and poured herself water from the jug. I plucked another grape and twitched my other fingers just as Nadia twitched hers. Suddenly there was an immense noise and shouting from where the slaves were working. The guards shouted and ran to the balcony where moments ago we had been standing.

I smirked at Nadia. She smiled while idly rolling a grape between her long, graceful fingers. I put innocent eyes on and turned and asked the guards, "What in the gods was that?!"

"A landslide took half the pharaohs monument down!", the younger guard yelled. So naive. The older guard was shellshocked staring at the disaster zone.

"Oh gods, not his monument! Is anyone hurt? Should we go down to provide aid?", Nadia smirked, she loved teasing and providing trouble. I didn't know what I would do without her to keep me trudging through what I believed was a cursed life and she a blessed. We had grown up together, sisters in life but not of blood. We had been taken by slave traders at a young age and sold together to a middle class Egyptian family. We had been named Nadia and Khafte by them, and we had no memory of our birth names or our parents. Now we were here, trapped in a palace with no where to hide.

"No, it might be the rebel's, creating a distraction to enter the palace undetected. Stay here", the older guard instructed.

Nadia and I rolled our eyes. If only.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the dead of night when Nadia and I were pulled from our bed. There were yells and screams down the halls. The sounds of the clash of swords echoed down the long halls to us. The rebel's has invaded. I looked up at my captor, the older guard from today's shift.

"What is happening?" I asked sharply. I looked over at Nadia, she was unharmed and looked bored, I was instantly suspicious.

"The rebels have invaded, the pharaoh has demanded your presence to make a deal with the gods", the guard spat.

I looked at Nadia, worried. The bored look had been wiped off her face to a calculating one.

"The last time someone tried to give us to the gods didn't go so well for them", Nadia hinted.

Her captor guard scoffed at her, and dragged her more roughly to walk faster.

I exchanged a glance with Nadia, wondering about our fate. We hadn't done our job as asked by Isis and instead had only become figureheads for the pharaoh to play with.

We began a descent into a tunnel that I hadn't known was present before.

"Where are you taking us exactly?", I demanded of my captor, "tell me!"

"As I said, the pharaoh has demanded your presence for a deal with the gods, actually one god in particular, and you're part of the exchange", my captor spat back.

"We're going to the pharaohs hidden chamber to commune with the gods", Nadia's captor added softly.

Suddenly I was filled with foreboding, one of us or both wouldn't come through this experience with our freedom. I looked at Nadia with dread, she was gazing at me calmly, she had already accepted her fate. I wanted to scream but no sound would come out.

I closed my eyes shut tight and allowed myself to be dragged roughly forward through the tunnel. It felt like mere moments later, I opened my eyes and we had entered a large room with a slope, we climbed up to the top and once up, a guard set a switch off.

"What's that? ", Nadia's captor asked. I had finally recognised him, he was one of our main guards who had been kinder towards us than most, but had still kept us within our room or the palace water gardens.

"You'll see in a moment, can't you hear them? Dumbasses", my captor chuckled.

I listened intently and could hear shouting and yelling, the rebel's had found the tunnel and were venturing down the tunnel towards us.

I suddenly realised what the switch was for and went to draw breath to yell out, but my captor squeezed his hand over my nose and mouth.

"Yell to warn them and I'll make sure the gods torture you for eternity", the guard paused for a moment thoughtfully, "actually I think I'll ask the pharaoh if I can have you and torture you myself for Set".

Nadia's eyes went wide as she comprehended what was waiting for us. I became calm. I could accept my fate, as long as Nadia survived and was freed. I would negotiate this. I would survive this torture for her.

The rebels had reached the room now, and looked at us from the top of the steep slope. The leader gave a yell and started forward toward us. My guard smiled and watched intently, his hand still over my mouth. The rebels were halfway up the slope when there was a deep groaning sound. Large logs were released to roll down from the top of the slope down. The rebels cried out and started to run back down but they didn't make it. The sickening sound of crunching bones and flesh, the screams of those severely injured, pierced my brain.

I tried to turn away, but my guard pulled my face around.

"Oh no, no, you get to watch. You wanted to yell and save them, like you try to save the slaves everyday with different disasters, but it's not your place, you're not a god, you're a mere woman, and you need to be taught your place in the world, under a man", the guard whispered sickenly into my ear.

I struggled , trying to put distance between me and the guard but he pulled me closer and held my head to watch as the rebels tried to crawl out from under logs. The entrance to the room had been blocked by several logs and there was no escape for us or the rebels.

More guards came from behind us as the sounds of screaming got louder.

"Finish them off", my guard told them.

He then wheeled us around and dragged me onward, towards my doom.


	3. Chapter 3

"There you are! Bring them here!"

The pharaoh gestured to the guards to dump us in the centre of the room in front of the dais. The room was large and ornate, clearly decorated to please the pharaoh and display his wealth to the gods.

I looked up at the ceiling praying to whoever would listen to spare us from this nightmare. Even if I wouldn't be spared, at least spare Nadia, I prayed, she deserves better than this.

"Come forth Set!"

I trembled, Set , the most chaotic and destructive of the Egyptian gods was being summoned to appear before us in this very room. Whatever the pharaoh wanted Set would demand a high price, and the pharaoh intended to make Nadia and I pay it.

There was a sudden darkness upon the dais and the smell of sickly sweet rotten fruit.

"Well well, the almighty pharaoh has summoned the mightiest of the gods for his bidding. You must be brave or very stupid." Set stood upon the dais in all his horror and looked upon us.

" So is this to be my offering? These two immortals?" Set tutted, " you know I risk the fury of Isis and Osiris if I claim them both."

The pharaoh looked Set in the eyes, and I realised how stupid he must be to believe he is Set's equal. This being had destroyed cities with the twitch of a finger, had destroyed souls with a mere half thought and yet the pharaoh looked upon Set with disdain and no respect.

"Take one or none, I don't care! But this is my offering in exchange for what I asked if you", Ramses said imperiously, " I want those rebel's spirits destroyed and for my empire to be the strongest that Egypt's ever seen!"

Set wet his lips and smiled a predators smile. I knew instantly the pharaoh was in over his head. Set would double cross him and take whatever he wanted, he was a god and the pharaoh was a mere mortal.

"As you wish", Set smiled, and he clicked his fingers.

The pharaoh blinked. "It is done?"

"Yes", Set replied, " your enemies have been destroyed, they have become shells ready to be filled with your words and carry out your bidding, as we speak your slaves are doubling in number and waking to do their work upon your monument of power. You will be the most famous of pharaohs for this day, and every man woman and child will know your name."

"That is all I ever wanted ", the pharaoh said gleefully. He turned to exit the chamber but a barrier stopped him. He turned back to Set.

"What is this?!", he demanded furiously, " Let me go! Our deal is done!"

"Who said our deal was done?", Set exclaimed," You May have gotten what you wanted but I haven't! As I recall another also made a deal with me, and he has already paid his price, so I better keep my end of the bargain."

The pharaoh suddenly became fearful.

Set grinned an evil smile and lunged over us for the pharaoh.

I kept my face forward to avoid the horror of what was happening but I could still hear the pharaohs screams until they stopped suddenly , coming silent except for the horrific dripping noise that echoed slightly in the large chamber. The guards ran for their lives, activating trips and switches that sealed the chamber shut. I couldn't breathe, the idiots had locked us in! It would be ages before we could safely dig our way out! I struggled to pull my thoughts together as I panicked about how Nadia would get out when I was taken.

"Now, which of you shall I take as my meal". Set wandered forward into my line of sight again and the sight of him made me tremble. His bloody maw was split in a grin as he eyed us both from the dais. Even so all I could think was "not Nadia, take me, take me".

"Take me"

I blinked and looked at Nadia, we had both mirrored each other and said it at the same time. Nadia smiled and shook her head.

"No Kafte, it must be me that makes this sacrifice, you must go out back into the world, raise my children, safeguard the earth and spread hope", Nadia said sadly. She was smiling but there was a world of grief in her eyes.

"No! Nadia your children need you! The world needs you! I'm the cursed one you're the blessed one! You must stay here and live and protect! " I cried.

Set laughed, " Neither of you get to choose and sacrifice yourself. It is my choice who's soul I will devour! Let me see.."

He turned and then clicked his fingers. Within moments green flames had enveloped Nadia. I screamed and ran towards her trying to summon water to extinguish the flames. Nadia was screaming out in pain, but still managed to say "No! It has to be this way! I love you Kafte! I'll always be with you!"

Within moments she was a pile of ash, and I was sobbing over them.

"Ahhhh delicious...", Set purred.

"You bastard! It should've been me!", I screamed and launched myself at him.

The next thing I knew I was slammed into the floor with great force. I gasped, I couldn't get enough air in and the pain was incredible.

"Now, now, that's no way to treat an all-powerful god", Set tutted, " Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson".

He snapped his fingers and the ashes reformed into Nadia's body, albeit gray and petrified.

"For your disrespect, I curse you to look upon the body of the one you love most in this world for a thousand years, never to touch, talk or caress again. You shall be forgotten in this chamber for a thousand years, no one will come for you and the earth shall start to die. You will remain here until your curse comes to an end and the body dissipates. You will have no help exiting this chamber when the curse is ended and only if you wish to leave shall you. You will be alone, perhaps for eternity." Set looked as if he experienced great pleasure at this thought and laughed darkly.

"Enjoy your next thousand years or so", and with those final words, Set disappeared into darkness.

I looked at Nadia's ashen body, and cried until the torches burnt out.

I allowed the darkness to consume me.


	4. Chapter 4

My prison soon became my home. Set never came back and I stayed in the dark, unsure of how I came to want to stay here. I couldn't go back out into the world without Nadia. She had been with me since we were young and had been my only connection to wanting to live in this world.

Anubis visited regularly but refused to let me cross over to the Underworld. He would bring me light, food and clean away the dirt and dust, but wouldn't fulfill my only wish.

"It's not your time", was his constant reply to my begging. I wanted to be reunited with Nadia but knew that would never be , as Set had devoured her soul. My misery consumed me and my prison became my haven.

My curse had been over for some time , but I did not have the strength to go out into the world, as Set had wanted to occur with this curse. Without Nadia, the world wasn't worth saving.

I'd lost track of time, I didn't know what the world would be like, whether it had developed grander pyramids or who had became the new pharaoh after Ramses. All I wanted was to be left alone.

But that was not meant to be.

Eventually, Isis, fed up of my misery and rage at the loss of Nadia, came into my prison to chastise me.

" I gave you new life, power, and this is how you're spending it. You are to go out into the world and heal it." Isis was furious with me. But I didn't care.

Isis seemed to realise I couldn't be reached with anger. I could see her mind tick over how she could possible rouse me to exit my haven. Finally, her expression lightened.

"You know, Nadia still lives on through her children. You should've been there guiding them through the years, but you've been selfish. Don't you owe Nadia the protection of her line for her sacrifice?"

I looked up at Isis. Sensing she had my attention this time she continued, " In fact, there's a young girl, she recently became an orphan , with her older brother who is now acting as guardian. She resembles Nadia so much. I think she may be the first in a while to have inherited the power that is rarely seen in her line. She needs guidance soon or she will be targeted as so many have been for their powers. She needs to learn how to use and control them before her fate changes."

I sighed. I knew that would be what Nadia wanted. Me to help her children, save the world, but the future seemed bleak without Nadia. A tear ran down my face and I'd didnt bother to wipe it away.

Isis' expression softened and she knelt beside me. "Nadia wouldn't have wanted this for you. She would want you to continue to live and fight for her. Protect her line, heal the earth, do right in the world as you used to. You would be free if only you would let yourself to be."

Isis wiped away my tears. "Come, I will take you into the new world. All you have to do is take my hand."

I hesitated. Nadia would've wanted me to do this. I looked over to where her body had been all those years ago, but had dissipated when the curse had faded. I looked back at Isis, and she smiled at me encouragingly.

"Ok", I croaked, my voice faint from not talking in years.

I took Isis' hand and next moment we were out in the middle of the desert. I gasped, the light hurt after being in the dark for so long. Isis snapped her fingers and my eyes adjusted to the light. She gestured to a small oasis, "Bathe, wash away your sorrows and prepare yourself to venture into the new world."

After I undressed and walked into the water, Isis burned my clothes. It was ritualistic to bid goodbye to my depression and horrific memories. I knew that those would stay with me forever though.

Isis presented me with clean new clothes, fit for royalty. I sighed.

" So her line is still in Egypt?", I enquired as I dressed.

"No, actually, her line has moved to a country called America. There they were safer there from prosecution, however the current climate means they are in danger still. The humans distrust anything they do not recognise, and cause her of being a witch. The world needs cleansing in more ways than one." Isis stood facing away from me as she said this. I sniffed, I could smell the rot of the world, how nature had declined. I wondered how it could've gotten this bad. I felt guilt at letting this happen while I wrapped myself in my misery and dark haven.

" No, education comes before 'cleansing'. Do not wipe out civilisation to start anew because life isn't going to plan. You want me to heal the world but I can't do that if you 'cleanse' it." I looked at Isis and saw her tense at my words.

She relaxed as she turned to look at me, "Those robes suit you. Come, I shall take you to where Nadia's children live."

She held out her hand. I breathed deeply, and prepared myself for what I was about to do. I had become an ancient being in a new world. Gods only knew what was in store for me.

I stepped forward and grasped Isis' hand and the world went black.


End file.
